5 Questions to Ask Your Interviewer During a Job Interview

Oct 30, 2017 12:45:16 PM

Interviews are never a one-way street. Get to know your future workplace a little better by asking your interviewer a few effective questions.

So your résumé has done its job (no pun intended!) and secured you that all-important interview. Congratulations! You have just scored your first face time with a potential future employer. Now is the time to do additional background research and iron that shirt you bought specifically for job interviews.

On top of all of this, it’s a good idea to figure out the questions that you, as a potential hire, may have for the interviewer. Don’t worry, you are not being kiasu. After all, a job interview is a two-way street. Asking questions face-to-face is a great opportunity for you to get to know the company a little better, as opposed to just reading about it from their corporate website. Here are some questions you could ask:

What skills and experiences do you feel an ideal candidate should have for this job?Job listings tend to give an overview of the skills and experiences that a company is looking for, but they also tend to be incredibly vague. This question is useful because it is an open-ended question that allows the interviewer to state exactly what the company and/or the department head is looking for in a candidate. It also gives you an idea of whether the job is a good fit for you — or not!

What is the single biggest problem facing your staff right now?Not only will this question give you a better understanding of the company, it will also allow you to talk about how you could help improve the situation, even before you are officially hired. Follow this up by giving suggestions on how to place you in the company to put you in a position to solve the aforementioned problem. This will help the interviewer better envision you as part of the organisation.

Do you offer further education/training?You don't want to enter a company and plateau in terms of development for the duration of time that you’re there. A company that offers education or training opportunities is a company that takes its employees seriously — always a good sign.

What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?Do a little homework and see if the company has new products or services, then ask questions about these. Not only does this demonstrate your interest, it also gives you a rough idea of where the organisation is heading in the coming years.

What do you enjoy most about working here?End off the interview with this casual question. This allows you to find out more about the workplace culture. Do they have after-work drinks? How about free pizzas on Fridays? These questions reveal just how satisfied or — if the interviewer is hard-pressed to come up with examples — dissatisfied the employees are.